Guest stevesmith101 Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 :arghh: 4 Corners in Administration Had a letter on friday saying my agents 4 corners have gone bust. In with the letter was an invite from Migration Bureau to take up my case file or a continued service package but with a £95 fee just for them to re-assess me and give me a quote. They also offer a full or partial re-fund of the £800 i have already paid. I have just started the visa process not sure what to do now Does any one know what i could do about 4 corners or what to do next Any help or advice would be great Thanks Steven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyhus Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 if they have gone bust try to get your money back would be my first action then if you have only just started, start again. Someone with more experience might know abit more than me thou! and with this you go back to the top of the homepage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gollywobbler Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 Hello Steven Welcome to Poms in Oz. Please see this thread: http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/migration-issues/61566-four-corners-emigration-administration.html Richard Gregan and Sammy Naghi have both made very kind offers that they are willing to speak with anyone affected by the closure of Four Corners and neither of them have any intention of charging you anything just to work out what stage you have reached and what, if anything, you need to do next in order to protect your migration plans so you can save the £95 for a start. The clients' money should be held in a separately identifiable clients account and Four Corners should have Professional Indemnity insurance. It is NOT sufficient for anybody to gloss over or ignore these two facts in an effort to extract the next £100 out of you. Are you a prospective skilled migrant? If so, what is your nominated occupation, please? Please choose from the list below: A-Z Occupations List - Australian Skills Recognition Information Have you obtained a skills assessment from the relevant skills assessment authority as yet? Which visa is involved, please? Best wishes Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stevesmith101 Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 Hello Steven Welcome to Poms in Oz. Please see this thread: http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/migration-issues/61566-four-corners-emigration-administration.html Richard Gregan and Sammy Naghi have both made very kind offers that they are willing to speak with anyone affected by the closure of Four Corners and neither of them have any intention of charging you anything just to work out what stage you have reached and what, if anything, you need to do next in order to protect your migration plans so you can save the £95 for a start. The clients' money should be held in a separately identifiable clients account and Four Corners should have Professional Indemnity insurance. It is NOT sufficient for anybody to gloss over or ignore these two facts in an effort to extract the next £100 out of you. Are you a prospective skilled migrant? If so, what is your nominated occupation, please? Please choose from the list below: A-Z Occupations List - Australian Skills Recognition Information Have you obtained a skills assessment from the relevant skills assessment authority as yet? Which visa is involved, please? Best wishes Gill Thanks for your reply It is a 176 visa sponsored skilled visa I am a painter & decorator and currently applying for my AQF III (i think) just sent an e-mail to the ATA to make sure they have been paid and they know who i am Not started skills assessment Thanks Steven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyhus Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 gollywobbler what a hero you are, although i need no advice i am sure there are a lot of people out there thankful for your advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gollywobbler Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 Hi Steven Thanks for the info and I have now re-read your post properly. My advice is ask for a full refund - ie insist on a full refund. I agree with Andyhus about this 100%. Do not put up with any whingeing about, "Oh well we did do this, that and the other bit so we are entitled to keep £799.99." The answer is, "NO. I paid £800 for a Result from Trades Recognition Australia. Since that has not been delivered, the whole £800 is mine. Your insolvency is not catered for by the contract so give me my money back, pronto." Remind them too that one of their consultants is/was dear old Ashley McEwen: Migration Agents Registration Authority He was the only one of the UK team who was a Registered Migration Agent until his recent suspension. If the company is actually in Administration then a Licenced Insolvency Practitioner will be in charge of its affairs. (And in charge of the client account, which is important. because your £800 should be safely tucked up in that client account and returning it to you is the LIP's responsibility.) Therefore in your shoes I would decline assistance from Migration Bureau and insist on direct contact details for the LIP instead. If they are unable to put you in touch with the relevant Licenced Insolvency Practioner, query it. Why not? It is not possible for a company to be in Administration unless an LIP has been appointed. Letting a company go to the wall and leaving Companies House to strike it off sooner or later is NOT an Administration under the Insolvency Acts. Matthew Garvey should know who the LIP is because he is a Director of something called "Four Corners Emigration" which has an address in the UK according to the Register of Agents: Migration Agents Registration Authority= The Register is maintained under the (Aussie) Migration Agents Act 1998 and it is a document of public record pursuant to that statute. You are therefore entitled to assume that it is an accurate statutory public record about what is what and who is who with this UK trading entity. It is not your job or your business to investigate whether or not the Register has been maintained properly. That is the Commonwealth Ombudsman's job if need be: Ombudsman, Australia - Home If you cannot get any sense out of the people on the other end of the phone numbers you have been given, or out of Mr Garvey either, please sing out and let us know. In your shoes in the meanwhile, I would ring up Sammy Naghi or Richard Gregan since both have offered to help. Best wishes Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melbournegirlinny Posted May 24, 2009 Share Posted May 24, 2009 Hi Steven. Please send me a PM if you want to discuss anything further on this. I know a bit about the painting and decorating AQF III too and have looked at the various companies who will provide the AQF III assessment for you. How old are you and how many years have you worked as a painter and decorator? Sandra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stevesmith101 Posted May 24, 2009 Share Posted May 24, 2009 I already have a company for AQF III thanks they are called Australian Trade Assessments ATA I applied and paid to them through 4 corners and just hope 4 corners paid my full fee to the ATA but i wont find out untill Tuesday Thanks Sandra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Collett Posted May 24, 2009 Share Posted May 24, 2009 If you paid monies to an agent that are to be disbursed on your behalf to a third party such as ATA these funds should certainly be in a ring fenced client bank account, and available for refund to you by the administrator. When Companies House comes backonline later today (7am UK time) I will do a search in an effort to identify the name of the appointed administrator. Best regards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bimble Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 Wow! have migratin bureau gone bust?? I registered with them a while back.. happy I didnt part with cash now. I contacted a load of other companies, im at the research stage.. they all wanted money for an assessment except for a company called visafirst, I called into their london office and they appeared very upfront. Perhaps its better to deal wiht an agent that has a local office like Visafirst or Emingrationgroup.. its nice to actually meet someone. Visafirst appear to be the best value so far. best of luck getting your money back from migration bureau. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gollywobbler Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 If you paid monies to an agent that are to be disbursed on your behalf to a third party such as ATA these funds should certainly be in a ring fenced client bank account, and available for refund to you by the administrator. When Companies House comes backonline later today (7am UK time) I will do a search in an effort to identify the name of the appointed administrator. Best regards. Hi Alan Thank you very much indeed for this input. I have been wondering whether there is a way to discover who the Administrator or Liquidator is (if there is one and it isn't just a euphemism for a decision to permit the failed UK company to go to the wall, leaving Companies House to strike it off sooner or later.) I was stumped after there was no reply when I tried to phone Four Corners on Friday to try to get the details for the Licenced Insolvency Practitioner who should be in charge. I was not aware that it might be possible to get this information via Companies House. Like you, I am concerned to try to find out whether there is a ring fenced client account and if so, who has control of it? I also want to try to discover whether there is any PI insurance in case there have been any errors on any of the files. I also have a question about the client account if there is one, which is this: you and I both know what an E&W solicitors' client account is and that it is 100% ring-fenced if anything happens to the solicitor who holds it. What brings this protection about, though? Is it a provision in the Solicitors Acts which is binding on the banks in some way or is it ordinary Banking law which enables anybody to set up an account which can be/definitely will be protected in a similar way to a solicitors' client account, please? Many thanks Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stevesmith101 Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 That would be great Alan ATA Called last night and is sure all moneys for my AQF III are fully paid thankfully They will call me back on Tuesday to confirm this Big thanks to Ryan from ATA for calling last night to put my mind at ease Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Collett Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 A quick note to say that time ran away from me yesterday ... I will now plan to log onto Co House later today. Best regards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Collett Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Hi Alan Thank you very much indeed for this input. I have been wondering whether there is a way to discover who the Administrator or Liquidator is (if there is one and it isn't just a euphemism for a decision to permit the failed UK company to go to the wall, leaving Companies House to strike it off sooner or later.) I was stumped after there was no reply when I tried to phone Four Corners on Friday to try to get the details for the Licenced Insolvency Practitioner who should be in charge. I was not aware that it might be possible to get this information via Companies House. Like you, I am concerned to try to find out whether there is a ring fenced client account and if so, who has control of it? I also want to try to discover whether there is any PI insurance in case there have been any errors on any of the files. I also have a question about the client account if there is one, which is this: you and I both know what an E&W solicitors' client account is and that it is 100% ring-fenced if anything happens to the solicitor who holds it. What brings this protection about, though? Is it a provision in the Solicitors Acts which is binding on the banks in some way or is it ordinary Banking law which enables anybody to set up an account which can be/definitely will be protected in a similar way to a solicitors' client account, please? Many thanks Gill That is a good question, Gill - so good in fact that I don't know the answer! It may be an issue of the underlying bank mandate and the type of account that is opened by the business in question. Best regards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jamie Smith Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Matthew's MARA details now exclude the UK business and inlcude 4 Corners South Africa, also as a Director. Alan if you are checking Companies Office record you might like to check current Director's status, Matthew should still be listed there unless he has resigned. If he is still listed as a director then his MARA record should show that but only if he still does work for the Uk business, the MARA record does not display what might now be an historic association. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Collett Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 A Companies House search is not turning up any useful information. Does anyone have any letterhead showing a company number please? Also names of any other directors of the company. Best regards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Collett Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 OK, we have company number 03258982, with a name change from Four Corners Emigration Limited to FCM 1 Limited. Resolution approving the name change was on 14/05/2009. The only director is a Timothy Bowler. The Registered Office of the company is: STRATHBLANE HOUSE ASHFIELD ROAD CHEADLE CHESHIRE SK8 1BB This company is owned by FCM 3 Limited, formerly Four Corners Migration Group Limited. Again, the resolution approving the name change was on 14/05/2009. Same sole director. Registered Office: C/O HARROP MARSHALL STRATHBLANE HOUSE ASHFIELD ROAD CHEADLE CHESHIRE SK8 1BB I have the last filed Annual Return if anyone is interested in more details relating to the director and shareholders. No sign yet of an Administrator being appointed, as per the Co House records. Best regards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest elf4 Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 :no: Well we have just found out about 4 corners going into administration and have no idea what to do next! We have asked for all our stuff to be returned as we don't want to fork out who knows how much again for another company but have no idea what to do next! Our application is lodged and have been asked for medical and police checks but don't know what 4 corners have done with them!!!! Anyone know what we should do next or who to ask? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stevesmith101 Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 This is part of the e-mail i received from four corners At the moment all Four Corers mail is being forwarded to us, and we are doing our best to help all the clients in this unfortunate situation. Regarding refunds from Four Corners, please contact the administrator on Saraa Plevin The Debt Advisor saraa.plevin@thedebtadvisor.co.uk 08454650085 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gollywobbler Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 :no: Well we have just found out about 4 corners going into administration and have no idea what to do next! We have asked for all our stuff to be returned as we don't want to fork out who knows how much again for another company but have no idea what to do next! Our application is lodged and have been asked for medical and police checks but don't know what 4 corners have done with them!!!! Anyone know what we should do next or who to ask? Hello elf4 Welcome to Poms in Oz. You do sound quite confused. I am not surprised. However please do not worry. I think the easiest option for you at the moment is likely to be if you phone either Richard Gregan or Sammy Naghi. Both are Registered Migration Agents and neither of them would dream of trying to charge you anything for talking with you on the phone, getting a bit more detail from you and then giving you some guidance about what your next move should be. Both gentlemen have posted on this thread: http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/migration-issues/61566-four-corners-emigration-administration.html Please click on the link for the thread, read it and then ring either Richard or Sammy, I suggest. Best wishes Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stevesmith101 Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 How do i find a good agent that is not going to go bust and are reasonably priced Have had one quote of £2300 £300 more than 4 corners any pointers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyhus Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 How do i find a good agent that is not going to go bust and are reasonably pricedHave had one quote of £2300 £300 more than 4 corners any pointers i used one that was local to me, it was near guildford. and the bloke we met was regular article writer in the aucstralia magazine we used to buy. They were expensive compared to most others but i got my visa in half the time as a chipie i knew who only spent £1600 on his agent. So for me who didn't want any hassle it was good value. i would get a few quotes then ask on here who people would recomend. if you are any where near guildford the company is called montfort international plc. don't let the name put you off it is quite a small company. Or there is a bloke who done most of the process called john adams it is something like www.immigration2oz.com . hope it helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Collett Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 How do i find a good agent that is not going to go bust and are reasonably pricedHave had one quote of £2300 £300 more than 4 corners any pointers Definition of "reasonably priced" ...? Best regards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stevesmith101 Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 Definition of "reasonably priced" ...? Best regards. Just lost £800 anything to four corners I need to get the best deal I can You tell me what you think is a reasonable fee for emigration Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Collett Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Just lost £800 anything to four corners I need to get the best deal I can You tell me what you think is a reasonable fee for emigration Regards I think we charge a reasonable fee. You are welcome to telephone us to discuss: Go Matilda - Your Gateway to Australia - Contact and Feedback Best regards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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